The present invention generally relates to portable game boards on which various card games may be played outdoors under windy conditions, while preventing cards placed on the board surface from blowing away. More particularly, the board has a plurality of card engaging members capable of releasably holding a number of playing cards, with each of such members being releasably secured to the upper surface of said board in a number of different locations and at a generally infinite number of orientations relative to the edges of the board.
Heretofore, a variety of game boards have been invented for the purpose of facilitating the playing of cards out doors under even windy conditions. However, the boards of the prior art have a number of defects and shortcomings which are overcome by the present invention. By way of example, Hatley U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,478 discloses a board with a plurality of spring arms releasably attached to the board and whose distal ends are urged towards the board and adapted to hold one or a number of playing cards between the ends of the arms and the upper surface of the board. The spring arms may be moved, but only to a limited number of specifically oriented positions on the board.
Similarly, Zirin U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,292 provides resilient card holding clips which may be moved to a number of discrete predetermined locations on the board, but cannot be universally positioned and oriented to better accommodate various games and various number of players.
Other prior art references disclose card boards for holding cards in a number of different ways, such as magnetically or in some form of non-movable or fixed strips.
The present invention provides a game board which can be folded for storage and opened to provide an upper relatively flat or planar surface on which any number of card games can be played.
To prevent cards placed on such upper surface from blowing away under windy conditions, a plurality of card retaining clips are provided which can be releasably secured to substantially any location on said upper surface, and at any desired angular orientation relative to the edges of the board.
In the preferred embodiment, hook and loop portions of Velcro attachments are respectively applied to the upper surface of the board and to the lower surface of the clips, to permit the releasable securing of the clips to the board.
The clips preferably have a flat base position, an intermediate curved portion extending from one end of the clip and an end position resiliently urged towards the upper surface of the base portion so as to hold one or more cards therebetween.
In a folded condition, the upper surface of the board, bearing one of the Velcro attachments is folded upon itself. However, the edges of the board and/or the lower surface of the board (which is exposed when the board is folded) may also have similar Velcro attachments affixed thereto so that the clips may be conveniently attached to the board when the board is stored or transported. Also, the Velcro attachments may be used as a means for hingedly connecting two parts of the board for folding, and for releasably securing the boards in a folded condition.